Game apparatus



Oct. 23 192& 1,471,375

W. S. BOWMAN GAME APPARATUS Filed March 23. 1922 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fiat(5.

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Oct. 23 ,1923. mwwis W. S. BCWMAN GAME APPARATUS Filed March 23. 1922 2Sheets-Sheet 2 W2 47 2 I I z B R Y I 5, 5

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Patented @ct. 2?], 1923.

.UNHTEE amt! earner tic.

WILLIAM s. BOWMAN, or.oRAneEv-IL E,rEnnsYLvANIa.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed. March 23, 1922. Serial No. 546,057.

' cation.

This invention relates generally to games and toys, and moreparticularly to a game in which the success of the player is directlydependent upon his or her dexterity and skill in the manipulation of theapparatus.

More specifically a game board upon the surface of which are a pluralityof spherical bodies, hereafter called balls. The surface of the board isprovided with plurality of compartments, pockets, or pens, and it istheobiect of the player to so tilt and otherwise manipulate the board,that the balls will gravitate into said pens.

'A further bject of the invention is the identification of certain penswith certain of said balls, the game being successfully terminated whenall the pens contain only balls of the same identification as that pen,and no balls are unpcnned.

Other objects of the invention are the provision of obstacles preventingthe direct entrance of balls into the pens; the prevention of the easyremoval of a ball from the wrong pen; the provision of undulatingupright surfaces against which the periphery of the balls contact,whereby the speed of the balls is retarded and further movement isimpeded; the provision of means whereby, with difliculty, a ball may bejumped out of the wrong pen into the correct one, said means alsooperating, upon tilting the board 180 degrees, to release all the ballsfrom the pens for a repetition of the game.

Other objects of the invention will be made apparent in the followingspecificar. tions and the drawings forming a part thereof.

In said drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved game board. 7

Fig.2 is an enlarged perspectiveview of the pens.

v Fig. 3 is a section. on line-33 of Fig. 1.

, Fig. 4 is a detail view showing a ball lodged in a depression in oneof the vertical surfaces, and r the invention embodies 5 each of thepens, and a gate 3, adapted to ilarly Fig. 5, is a detailedview of oneof the doors guarding the pens.-

Now-referring specifically to the drawings, the board A is provided witha floor X, and enclosing side walls C, a transparent cover D beingpreferably provided, as shown 1n Flg. 3.

Centrally located upon the surface X is a I circular fence'l, providedwith. fences 2, 2, at right angles to each other, and dividing that partof the surface X, enclosed by the fence 1, .into foul-pens B-,VV, Y, R,of equal area.

The fence'l is apertured at "the front of cover each aperture, ispivotally mounted upon the fence. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, each gate.3 is provided withfears which are turned over a rail of the fence 1,permitting swinging movement of the gate. Since each gate is wider thanthe associated aperture, and since they are mounted upon the inside ofthe pens, it is obvious that the gates may swing inwardly towards thepen, but not outwardly.

Each of the fences 2, forming the walls of the pens, is cut away at itstop, to form the openings 4, the openings between the pens Y and'B, Band W, and WV and B, being centrally disposed with respect'to the fencewhich divides these pens. The fence between the pens Y and R is cut awaysoas to form the opening 4 at the end thereof which connects with thefence 1, the latter being provided with a similar'opening 5,

as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the surface X, and directly opposite each gate 3, is a fence 6,preferably of segmental shape, and concentric with the fence 1. I

The floors of the pens are ored, that of the pen B being blue, the penW, white, the pen yellow.

The spherical members, or balls .7, herein- ..before referred to, areofa size to permit through the apertures guarded by the gates 3, andthroughthe aperture 4 above referred to. Any convenient number of ballsmay be used in playing the game, but each of the balls 7 must be coloredsim to the floor of one of the pens'B, W, R, Y, or the floors and theballs may, in some other manner, he identified as belonging to the sameclassification. I prefer to use their passage differently col- 7 R, red,and the pen Y,

pens. -18 held upside down shown in Fig. 3, there s sch i cl sraucebetween the bottom twelve be lls V obviously it is sometime :ngs. threeo r to the pig to make two jump and thence led r home hole.

01 the fences 1 2 I shown in the drawsons, first, because thi. *ealismto the appearance 0 7 ii i whi three red, 1 s s three blue, and three*low. hut it 18 oh- 1 P h he may he jumped vious that number balls mayoo 5 varied, as may also be their color, so long the halls arerespectively colored the same es the floor of the pen in which they areI. u timately to be located.

I also u. me another ball l9 W eutral color, secondly. because itpresents l- L the halls 7, so as struction against which to passhillGJPil the apertures r1121 freely. /Vher ever a t ri y detained inone of the Wire mes the dog 8 is oil against and dislodge it.

the game may be played it the of other met;

it the surfaces of the ma l nd uubrolren.

29 nous th i. her of pens, and the :1- used.

sararus as broadly describe;

annot itself YVith the enter a ieu becu pigs in their resgec ye pens,and the is: dispensed dog at rest the game s finished. inventioi h Itorder to release (lie oigs i rom the start the anewfthe board omprisinga surface sure marked to incertain member adapted for gravitation.

1 of aperture 5, or surfs and to e1 r said enclosure, 1 1.611 the board1s 11 me ited to permit o y of said memi 3 tall backwardly bet 'denclosure i )rcrei ess until their lower edges rest upon the surthe. 1and a separate 'it from sa '1 enw ace of the cover D. ln this inverted psicl 1 "emote trom sail. surface.

tioii, if the board is sharply jerked up and t' described. lows, thepigs will pass outwardly mtapparatus comprising a surt'mough theapertures in the fence 1, non with an en ,losure, partitions d mollyguarded by the 3, the gate now nclosure into a plurality of using swunginwardly to uncover said apere! c 1 marked to indicate ture.CltiGSlfiCfihiOJ, a plurality of men- The apertures 4,, in the fences 2,serve adapted to gravitate over said surface also to permit a pig 7 tojump tr hi the ter saio nclosure, each member be 60 wrong; pen i1lli0lll Y et us asi i l ed to inoic ate the classification of sume that awhite 1 Led pen. we of said compartments, means adapted in the absenceof means for getting: him 1 entry of said members into each out, thegame is lost as soon as a pig eneht ul, prev sting egress th reters3-811 of the Wrong color. siu r'e. the apertur s in said partitions er-T sbsence of any provision to the contrary, 'ress from each compartment.

L i the pig cannot ut of the pen, and 1e apparatus. comprising" a surthegame cannot be s ccessfully terminated. "KlECl with a plurality ofcompart- L 1 T n .w i If the bean s c t LC ro sly i ttllljggail .shaving partitions therebetween each however, to brag tire ioreign pig toa co artment be 5; marked to indicate a '60 sitron sueh as sho vn indotted li ues, Fig. .ato classification, a plurality of mem- 15.immediately aortcent the openiig 4s, m \drpted to QIHVltoi-Q over saidsurface the renceQ, and "He board t1 d from the each ml rlred to iniicate the classificeved i one compartments, means o led to permit entryof said members compartments but to prev-en s end apertures l h edgeupwardly and then bodily m uwai'dly and sharply re-"l upwardly, tforeign pig in he caused to jump over and through the opening 4: andinto affording communication between all said compartments.

f. A game apparatus comprising a surface provided with an enclosure,partitions dividing said enclosure into a plurality of compartments,members: adapted to graviover said surface and to enter saidcompartments, means permitting entry of said members into saidcompartments but preventing egress therefrom, and apertures in saidpartitions whereby any and all members may be led outside of saidenclosure.

5. A game apparatus comprising a surface provided with Walls forming anenclosure, a member adapted for gravitation over said surface, anaperture in one of said walls adapted to permit entry of said memherinto said enclosure, an element pivoted to said wall and adapted topermit access of said member to said enclosure but to prevent egress ofsaid member, and an aperture in another wall of said enclosure adaptedto permit egress of said member, substantially as described.

6. A game apparatus having a surface provided with a wall forming anenclosure, partitions dividing said enclosure into compartments,apertures in the wall of said enclosure, members adapted to gravitateover the said surface and to enter said apertures, elements carried bysaid wall and normally covering said apertures and adapted to permitentry of said members into said compartments but to prevent egresstherefrom, and apertures in said partitions and said wail. whereby saidmembers may be led out of all of said compartments and said enclosure,substantially as described.

7. A game apparatus comprising, in combination with members adapted togravitate over a surface, a wall forming an enclosure on said surface,said enclosure being provided with partitions dividing it into aplurality of compartments, each compartment being provided with anentrance aperture for said members, extending through said wall, andwith an exit aperture for said members extending through one of saidpartitions, substantially as described.

8. A game apparatus comprising, in combination with members adapted togravitate over a surface, a wall forming an enclosure on said surface,said enclosure being provided with partitions dividing it into aplurality of compartmnts, each compartment being provided with anentrance aperture for said members, extending through said wall, andwith an exit aperture for said members extending through one of saidpartitions, and means permitting entry of said members through saidentry aperture, but preventing egress therethrough, substantially asdescribed.

9. A game apparatus, including a surface and members adapted forgravitation thereover, comprising an enclosure having a wall andapertures in said wall permitting 1ngress of said members into saidenclosure,

means preventing egress of said members through said apertures, andbarriers on said surface, spaced from said Wall, and presenting asurface composed of hills and valleys, substantially as described.

10. A game apparatus, including a surface and members adapted forgravitation thereclosure into a plurality of compartments,

apertures in said walls, members adapted to gravitate over said surfaceand to pass through said apertures, barriers on said surface locatedopposite said apertures and spaced from said wall, said wall, saidpartitions and said barriers presenting, on both sides, surfaces of hilland valley construction, substantially as described.

12. A game apparatus comprising a surface provided with a wall formingan enclosure on said surface, partitions dividing said enclosure into aplurality of compartments each marked to indicate aclassificationdifferent from that of any other compartment, apertures in said wallaffording admission to said compartments, a plurality of balls adaptedto gravitate over said surface and pass through said apertures, eachball being marked to denote a classification the same as that of one ofsaid compartments, a gate for each aperture, pivotally mounted to swinginwardly, under contact by said balls means preventing said gates fromswinglng outwardly, another ball adapted to gravitate over said surfaceand i of a size preventing its passage through said apertures, ports inthe upper edges of said partitions permitting the passage of a ball fromone compartment to another, port in the upper edge of said wall,permitting the exit of balls from said enclosure, barriers on saidsurface located outside of said enclosure and opposite said apertures,said walls, said partitions and said barriers presenting, on both sides,vertically disposed surfaces of hill and valley construction, substantially as described.

13. A game apparatus comprising a surface provided with an enclosure,partitions in said enclosure dividing the latter into compartments, amember adapted for gravitation over said surface and to enter saidenclosure, means movable to permit entry of said member into saidenclosure, but to pre vent egress therefrom, an aperture in thetop'portion of said: partitions permitting the passage of said memberbetween the several compartments, when said member is out of contactwith said surface, substantially as described.

14. A game apparatus comprising a surface provided with an enclosure,partitions in said enclosure dividing the latter into com partments, amember adapted for gravitation over said surface and to enter saidenclosure, means movable to permit entry of said! member into saidenclosure, but to prevent egress therefrom, and an aperture at the topof said enclosure permitting egress of said member when the latter isout of contact with said surface, substantially as de scribed.

15. A game apparatus comprising a surface provided with an enclosure,partitions in said enclosure dividing the latter into a plurality ofcompartments, a member adapted for gravitation over said surface and toenter said: enclosure, means movable to permit entry of said member intosaid enclosure, but to prevent egress therefrom, an aperture in the topportion of each partition permitting said member to pass between thesaid compartments when said member is out of contact with said surface,and an aperture in said enclosure permitting the egress of said memberwhen the latter is out of contact with said surface, substantially asdescribed.

16. A game apparatus comprising, in combination with a surface and amember adapted for gravitation thereover, a circular enclosure on said:surface constructed to provide hills and valleys on both sides thereof aplurality of partitions in said enclosure dividing the latter intocompartments, said partitions presenting hill and valley surfaces onboth sides, means permitting ingross of said member to said enclosurebut preventing egress therefrom, and means whereby said member may passfrom one compartment to another, substantially as described.

17. A game apparatus comprising, in combination with a surface and amember adapted'for gravitation thereover, a circular enclosure on saidsurface constructed to provide hills and valleys on both sides thereof,a plurality of partitions in said enclosure dividing the latter intocompartments, said partitions presenting hill and valley surfaces onboth sides, means permitting ingress of said member to said enclosurebut prevent ing egress therefrom, means whereby said member may passfrom one compartment to another and means permitting egress of saidmember from said enclosure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

WILLIAM S. BOWMAN.

